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What is Marble?

Marble is found in nature in the form of rocks. These rocks are formed from limestone. The tremendous heat and pressure beneath the earth’s surface converts limestone into marble rocks. If you analyse the chemical composition of marble, you will fine that it is mostly calcium carbonate. Some varieties of marble contain 99% calcium carbonate. Marble acquires a variety of colors due to the presence of some salts of aluminum and magnesium in it.

A Marble statue

Pure marble is snow whit. White marble has been in use for construction of buildings since ancient times. The people of Greece and Egypt used this stone for construction of temples. The Taj Mahal Agra was also made from white marble. It is unaffected by heat, cold, rain, etc.

Natural boulders of marble are cut into big slabs by machines. These big pieces are brought to workshop where they are cut into desired sizes. Marble obtained from rocks is initially coarse. To make the surface smooth, it is polished with the help of special machines, after which it is ready for se. because of its beauty, it as always been a favorite material for sculpture, architecture and many other purposes. Famous sculptors like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci used marble for many of their works.

Italy has some of the vast and well known marble quarries in the world. About one lakh tones of marble is mined in Italy every year. It is called Italian marble. The longest marble quarry of USA is located in Vermont. In India, Bheraghat in Jabalpur (M.P.) is famous for its marble rocks. It is found in abundance there. Marble deposits are also found in Rajasthan- the marble of Makran, known as Makran marble is very famous.